My grandfather, Gordon 'Roy' Shearing, died today. It's weird to type those words, even when you know they're coming. He was my last surviving grandparent and at the age of 87, with rapidly failing health, it was expected - though I remember the words Joss Whedon used in one of the finest hours on television on the subject, that death is ALWAYS sudden too.He lived a life less ordinary, living in places as different as Leeds, The Bahamas and Southamption, before spending most of of the latter half...

Within forty-eight hours of getting back from America, I was headlong into my brother's wedding. Headlong is an apt description as though I'd spent much of that forty-eight hours trying to adjust my body-clock, I was still feeling a bit off balance - and that was before any of the alcohol.Though the temperatures back in 'Blighty' were nowhere near those of the US, the day remained sunny and warm. I always enjoy a good excuse to get washed and bushed up and though I've yet to see any of the official...

Yes, the final leg of the trip was New York, a place I'd always wanted to visit but never had the opportunity to before. Thanks to a very good price on an arrive-LAX & depart-JFK flight and the fact that my HLWW associate Camille (and her husband Steve) had graciously offered to let me stay with them in New Jersey, the opportunity was now here - even though it was a small window of opportunity.I arrived at La Guardia later than originally planned on Monday afternoon and was scheduled to fly...

After the Rockies there were still plenty of treats, a professional massage as a birthday treat - everyone should have those regularly: verrrrrry relaaaaaaxing - food with Holly's friends and then back to Kit and Ariel's so that I could be close to the airport for an early start to my next port of call. I took off from Denver at about 7:30am and flying thru Dallas Fort Worth up and across to Columbus (which meant changing my watch twice in two, er, three hours). But oh me-o, oh-my-o, Columbus Ohio...

Leg two of my trip took me to Denver. Heatwave: 80 degrees. My friend Kit (whose wedding I attended in Biarritz last year) was getting ready to graduate from law school. As I'd promised/threatened to visit them - and Kit's cousin Holly - on my next viable trip, it seemed that this was the best opportunity and though it was mainly a family gathering, I was made to feel welcome (and, after all, I had met most of the family last year!). Holly and I were drafted in to help set up the picnic in the...

There's been a ton of things I should have been blogging about in the last few months. My trip to the States, Steve's wedding and a whole raft of things I could be typing. So let's start with the US trip. Partly for business, partly for pleasure I spent nearly a whole calendar month in America in May. Firstly there were almost two weeks in Los Angeles where I stayed with Kerry and divided my time between work and just having a relaxing post-birthday breather and experimenting with my new camera...

It's been ages. I know. I don't write. I don't call. There'll be more along shortly. Promi...